Distracted Driving

1. Distracted Driving Marlene Markison Associate Administrator Regional Operations & Program Delivery

2. What is Driver Distraction? • Types of distraction • Manual: taking your hands off the wheel • Visual: taking your eyes off the road • Cognitive: taking your mind off the road • Any task may cause multiple types of distraction

3. Fatalities in Crashes with Driver Distraction in 2008 • Youth is age group with greatest frequency of involvement • 16% of all <20 drivers in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving • An estimated 22% of all crash-related injuries involved distraction (General Estimates System) Source: National Center for Statistics and Analysis

4. Actions Taken • Secretary LaHood hosted Summit Fall 2009 • U.S. DOT has taken action to ban texting or restrict cell phone use in trains, trucks, and interstate buses • Implement U.S. Presidential Executive Order 13513 “Federal Leadership on Reducing Text Messaging While Driving,” 10/1/09 • Explore developing a training module for U.S. government employees • Global promotion of the executive order

5. Actions Taken • States are passing distracted driving laws • DOT has proposed incentives for States to pass distracted driving laws – Requested $50 million in FY2011 • Other Partners • Oprah “No Phone Zone Day” – April 30 • Allstate X the TXT • Focus Driven

6. NHTSA Distraction Research Plan

7. Improve Understanding • Initiate improved police reporting • Summary: Distraction incidence is not consistently reported. This project will look at best practices and improved police reporting. • Expected outcome: Improved training and standards for coding distraction on PARs • Status: Ongoing. Improvements to PARs expected 2012

8. Improve Understanding • Analyze additional crash data • Summary: NHTSA will use it’s National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Study (NMVCCS) to analyze in more detail distraction-related crashes • Expected outcome: Results of this analysis will help to define research to identify countermeasures • Status: Ongoing, with reports due later in 2010

9. Improve Understanding • Continue observational studies • Summary: NHTSA will continue the National Occupant Protection Use Study (NOPUS), which measures cell phone use • Expected outcome: Annual tracking of cell phone use; enhanced data collection • Status: Ongoing, with annual reports

10. Improve Understanding • Publish protocol for the NOPUS cell phone study • Summary: To allow other organizations to collect similar data, NHTSA will publish the protocol currently used for the NOPUS cell phone study. • Expected outcome: Annual tracking of cell phone use; enhanced data collection • Status: Ongoing, with annual reports

11. Improve Understanding • Plan analyses for the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) • Summary: This naturalistic study will provide a lot of information on driver behavior; NHTSA is planning the analyses. • Expected outcome: Data analyses will support policy decisions, help identify countermeasures • Status: Ongoing

12. Improve Understanding • Assess use of new technology • Summary: With the rapidly advancing state of technologies, NHTSA needs to review those for infotainment, data collection, and enforcement • Expected outcome: Identification of potential benefits, disbenefits of technology • Status: Ongoing

13. Improve Understanding • Assess cell phone interfaces • Summary: This project will look at drivers’ interactions between three types of phone interfaces: hand-held, hands-free, and integrated • Expected outcome: Identification of potential benefits, disbenefits of technology • Status: Ongoing

14. Improve Understanding • Evaluate distraction from manual entry tasks • Summary: This project will examine the similarities and differences in driver performance when drivers engage in manual secondary tasks • Expected Outcome: estimate of the distraction potential of different manual secondary tasks • Status: Initiated, with completion in 2011

15. Reduce Workload (Distraction) from Interfaces • Develop test procedures to evaluate in-vehicle and nomadic interfaces • Review current Guidelines • Develop distraction and usability metrics • Integrate findings into Guidelines

16. Reduce Workload (Distraction) from Interfaces • Integrate findings • Phase 1: In-vehicle visual-manual interfaces • Refines current Alliance Guidelines • Completion: August 2011 • Phase 2: Portable devices • Expands scope of current guidelines • Completion: August 2013 • Phase 3: Voice interfaces • Also expands current scope • Completion: August 2014

17. Keep Drivers Safe • Improve crash warning interfaces • Summary: The driver-vehicle interface (DVI) is a critical component. The interface should be tailored to the capabilities of the system as well as to the capabilities and limitations of the driving population. • Expected outcome: Evaluation of effectiveness, acceptance of DVI • Status: Ongoing, with completion in 2011

18. Keep Drivers Safe • Quantify benefits of crash warning systems • Summary: To date, crash avoidance technology effectiveness can only be estimated. Long-term changes to behavior (i.e., risk compensation) have not been measured. • Expected outcome: Estimate of safety benefits of systems • Status: Planning stages, with completion in 2013

19. Keep Drivers Safe • Assess distraction monitoring systems • Summary: Monitoring has been shown to increase traffic safety, distraction monitoring is newer but could offer the same benefit. • Expected outcome: A set of testing protocols to evaluate/compare distraction monitoring to estimate benefits • Status: Ongoing, with completion in 2011

20. Keep Drivers Safe • Assess effectiveness of cell phone filters • Summary: NHTSA is planning a research program that would not only verify whether the programs work as designed but investigate whether people will voluntarily use these programs. • Expected outcome: Estimate of effectiveness, willingness to use • Status: In planning, with completion in 2011

21. Recognize Risks and Consequences • Evaluate laws and high-visibility enforcement • Summary: NHTSA is planning to test the high-visibility enforcement model by applying it in a distracted driving demonstration project in two cities • Expected outcome: preliminary indication of the effectiveness of laws and high visibility enforcement • Status: Ongoing. Improvements to PARs expected 2011

22. Recognize Risks and Consequences • Develop targeted media message • Summary: NHTSA will develop and test new targeted media messages to support high visibility enforcement demonstration programs • Expected outcome: Support of high-visibility enforcement program, media available to public • Status: Ongoing, with results in 2011

23. PHONE IN ONE HAND. TICKET IN THE OTHER.

24. Recognize Risks and Consequences • Draft and publish sample law for use by states • Summary: NHTSA developed a model law for use by states considering a texting ban • Expected outcome: Publication of sample law • Status: Completed

25. Recognize Risks and Consequences • Develop Driver Distraction Program Resource through World Health Organization • Summary: The DOT is working with the U.S. State Department to provide global leadership and technical assistance regarding driver distraction. • Expected outcome: Adoption of effective policies, programs worldwide to reduce distraction, crashes • Status: Ongoing, with completion in 2011

26. Recognize Risks and Consequences • Assess potential of education and training programs • Summary: This project will assess how well novice driver training on the risks of multitasking transfer to real driving, and how training programs can increase hazard recognition • Expected outcome: Information will enhance education and training programs Status: Ongoing, with completion in 2011

27. Distraction.gov